Shoe-rack.



' a. B. GARDNER-ck 111. HIGGINS SHOE RACK. Arrmorrron rmm m; 11.. 1m;

' Patentefi Sept. 22, 190 8,

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GEORGE B. GARDSER AND ALBERT n. HIGGINS, or HA'VERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

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I Specification Letters Patent.- v I Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

Application filed January 14, 1908. Serial No. 410,758.

more, as they are usually subjected to severe usage, a rack havinggreater durability than the ordinary wooden rack is des rable. Theprincipal objects of our invention are to provide a shoe rack which maybe readily knocked down, so that it may be stored in a comparativelysmall space' and in which all the parts are interchangeable, and also,to provide a rack which is durable and rigid, without being excessivelyheavy and expensive to manufacture.

For an understanding of our invention reference is made totheaccompanymg drawin in which,

igure 1 is a side ele ation of a shoe rack made according to ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a. r ss section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan view of one of the trays. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view ofone of the corner irons. Fig. 5 is an onlar ed detail sectional view onthe line 55 of big. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlargeddetail sectional view online 66 of r Fig. 3., Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the endsections. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view on line 77'of Fig. 2.Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on the line 88 of' Fi 7. Figs. 10 and11 are detail views of a loc king means which is preferably employed.

' As shown in the drawing, the device comprises two end sections,- eachof which are preferably constructed of iron tubing and comprise a pairof upright side rods a, whichare respectively mounted at their lowerends in socket pieces I), connected by a cross-rod a at their upperends, said socket-pieces being also connected by a lower cross-rod c,the whole forming a rigid frame. Casters d "are mounted in the lowerends of the socket pieces 11, as shown, said casters being, so far asthe present invention 'lS concerned, of ordinary form.

I sections together.

The upright side rods a of each the trays are in a vertical position.

the middle and at the inner side thereof, said slots extending into theinterior of the tube. A series of trays are provided, each traycomprising a rectangular frame 0, the corners of which are reinforcedbyrigid an le plates ff which are secured to the outer sides thereo Theseangle plates are stamped from sheet metal and during, or as a part ofthis operation a hook-shaped tongue f is cut out ofone of the angleportions of the plate which is bent out in line with the other port-ionthereof. The hooks thus formed are adapted to enter the slots (1- andengage the inner side of the tubes, so that the trays may be supportedin said end sections. Y

Parallel supporting bars 9' are provided,

' which are shown as extending longitudinally of 'the trays, andconnected to the under sides of the end portions of the'frames thereof,by means of screws, so that each may be readily removed if. broken, anda new one put in its place. Said bars are half round and seated inrecesses formed in the under side of the frame, as shown in Fig. 6. Asthe bars 9 are of considerable length when extended longitudinally ofthe trays, and as 7 shoe racks are often moved about by pulling orpushing on the trays at the middle, of the sides thereof, we provide arigid metal brace bar it which is extended across the tray at themiddlethereof, and beneath the bars 9, the ends of said bar h being upturnedand secured to the sides of the frame e, as shown in Fig. 5.

The above construction is employed if the shoes are .to be sup ortedsole ,down on'the rack. but in case they are to be supported sole up thebars g should extend crosswise of the trays. Y y

A connectingside bar 2' is provided at each side of the rack, which isadapted to pass through one of the sockets l) at each end, said bars ibeing internally threaded at each end to receive screw caps 7', each ofwhich is adapted to engage one end of the socket piece wit 1 whichit isassociated, to clamp the end Said side-bars e are each provided with apin is which is adapted to enter a slot b in one of the sockets b tohold the bar from turning. y

In practice, in assembling the rack the bars i vare'first secured at-one end in one of the end-sections'flhe section is laid flat and thehooks f are inserted in the slots a while The end section are eachprovided with slots 0. in other section is then placed on the other ends'of the bars c' and thehooks at the opposite ing't end sections firmlyagainstthe ends of the trays.

than the thickness of th tubes, so that there easily arranged in place.

10 As the side bars 1. are below the trays,

there is some tendency for the end sections to-spring apart attheirupper ends, so that, if the rack should be overturned, some of thetrays might become partly disengaged from the end sections. I

means for the u per rack is preferably pro- For this reason a lockingvided, which wfl hold, the tongues thereof against t-he bottoms of theslots or sockets in which they are inserted.

As shown in detail in Figs. 10 and 11', a

with a pro'ection m which is adapted to enter the s 0. a above thetongue to hold them in place. It will be apparent that when said buttonsare in positionfit will be impossible for any of the hooks f of theupper tray to become disengaged from the end sections, so that said traywill be firml Y held in position under all conditions. As t e hooks onthe upper tray will prevent the end sections from springing apart, it.will also be impossible for the lower trays to become disenga ed so thatthe whole rack will be rigidly lodlied together.

In order to prevent the shoes from falling off at, either end-0f therack a series of wires 0 are provided which are passed down through endsof the tray are inserted, and then the clam nng plugs are screwed inplace, clamp the end portions of the frames of the trays, said wiresbeing preferably supported by forming a bend therein near their upperends and at their extreme ends a coil s formed 4 5 The hooks f are madesomewhat longer therein which may be employed as a tag holder.

is 'suflicient lost inotionto permit them to be 1 Having thus describedour invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent 1s:- 5o

' 25 made of spring metal. and each are provided 1. A shoe rackcomprising a pair of oppositely disposed and sections each .havingacorres ond'ingseries of pairs of sockets in the a jacent sides thereof,a series of trays each comprising a rectangular frame having a series ofright-angular, sheet-metal plates, each plate extending about a cornerof the frame'and having one portion connected to a side and the other toan end thereof and provided at its middle portion with an ingtcgraltongue extending-long1tud1nally of the tray beyond the end thereof inposition to be received by a corresponding socket of said end sections,substantially as described.

2. A shoe rack comprising a pair of oppositely disposed end. sections, aseries of trays removably connected to said end sections and a series ofvertical rods extending through the end portions of said trays andremovably mounted therein, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE B. GARDNER. ALBERT H. HIGGINS.

Witnesses;

L. H. HABRIMAN," H. B. DAVIS.

